JP7545234B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to refrigerators.

The refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a door that is rotatably fixed to the refrigerator body and opens and closes the front opening of the refrigerator body, and a container (bottle case) that is fixed to the surface of the door facing the refrigerator body. Bottles are stored in the container that is fixed to the door.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-151190

Some refrigerators are equipped with an operation panel fixed to the inner surface of the refrigerator body. This operation panel has operation buttons that can be operated by the user. For example, it has an operation button for setting the temperature inside the refrigerator. If an operation panel is applied to the refrigerator of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is conceivable that the operation button of the operation panel will be pressed by a bottle contained in a container (bottle case) fixed to the door when the refrigerator door is closed. For example, it is conceivable that the bottle contained in the container will tilt toward the inner surface of the refrigerator body when the door is closed, and the operation button will be pressed by the top of the bottle. This may result in the operation button being pressed against the user's intention. Therefore, this specification provides a technology that can prevent the operation button from being pressed by an object contained in a container fixed to the door.

The refrigerator disclosed in this specification includes a refrigerator body, a door rotatably fixed to the refrigerator body for opening and closing a front opening of the refrigerator body, a container fixed to the surface of the door facing the refrigerator body, and an operation panel fixed to the inner surface of the refrigerator body and including operation buttons that can be operated by a user. The container includes a body-side storage section located on the refrigerator body side, a door-side storage section located closer to the door than the body-side storage section, and a wall section that separates the body-side storage section from the door-side storage section. The operation panel is disposed in a position that overlaps with the wall section of the container when the inner surface of the refrigerator body to which the operation panel is fixed is viewed from the front when the door is closed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator compartment according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the operation panel according to the embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 with the door closed. This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 4. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 of a modified refrigerator.

The refrigerator 2 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 2 of the embodiment includes a refrigerator body 10 and a pair of pivoting doors 20 (left door 20a and right door 20b) that are pivotally fixed to the refrigerator body 10. The refrigerator 2 also includes a number of pull-out doors 120 that can be pulled out from the refrigerator body 10. The following description focuses on the pivoting door 20. The following description will be based on the directions of "left and right," "front and back," and "up and down" shown in FIG. 1. Note that the "rear" shown in FIG. 1 may also be called the "inner part."

(Configuration of refrigerator body 10)
The configuration of the refrigerator body 10 will be described. The refrigerator body 10 includes a metal outer box 12, a resin inner box 13 arranged inside the outer box 12, and a heat insulating material (not shown) filled between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13. A pivot door 20 (a left door 20a and a right door 20b) is fixed to the outer box 12 of the refrigerator body 10.

The refrigerator body 10 is provided with a refrigeration chamber 14 for storing food and the like. The refrigeration chamber 14 is provided inside the refrigerator body 10. Food and the like can be put in and taken out through a front opening 17 of the refrigeration chamber 14. In addition to the refrigeration chamber 14, the refrigerator body 10 also has a freezer chamber, a vegetable chamber, an ice maker chamber, etc. (not shown). The following description focuses on the refrigeration chamber 14.

The refrigerator compartment 14 is provided at the top of the refrigerator body 10. A freezer compartment, a vegetable compartment, an ice-making compartment, etc. are provided below the refrigerator compartment 14. The refrigerator compartment 14 is set to a temperature in the refrigeration temperature range (e.g., 3-5°C). FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the refrigerator compartment 14. The refrigerator compartment 14 is provided inside the inner box 13. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of shelves 15 are arranged vertically in the refrigerator compartment 14. Foods, etc. are arranged on each shelf 15. In addition, a chilled compartment 16 is provided in the refrigerator compartment 14. The chilled compartment 16 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 14. The chilled compartment 16 is provided below the lowest shelf 15a of the plurality of shelves 15. The chilled compartment 16 is set to a temperature range lower than the refrigeration temperature range (e.g., 0-3°C).

An operation panel 30 is fixed to the left inner surface 40 of the refrigerator compartment 14 (the left side surface of the inner box 13). A label 45 is attached to the left inner surface 40. The label 45 is attached below the operation panel 30. The inner surface 40 of the refrigerator compartment 14 extends from the front opening 17 of the refrigerator compartment 14 toward the back. The inner surface 40 of the refrigerator compartment 14 extends in the front-rear and up-down directions. The operation panel 30 is fixed to the front of the inner surface 40. A label 45 is attached to the front of the inner surface 40. The operation panel 30 and the label 45 are located forward of the multiple shelves 15 and the chilled compartment 16 in the refrigerator compartment 14.

The operation panel 30 is disposed above the lowest shelf 15a of the multiple shelves 15 disposed within the refrigerator compartment 14. The operation panel 30 is disposed at a height position between the lowest shelf 15a and the shelf 15b one level above it. The operation panel 30 is disposed above the chilled compartment 16. The label 45 is disposed below the lowest shelf 15a. For example, the model number, specifications, manufacturer, etc. of the refrigerator 2 are written on the label 45.

Figure 3 is a front view of the operation panel 30. As shown in Figure 3, the operation panel 30 includes a panel body 31, a plurality of operation buttons 32, and a plurality of indicator lamps 33. The panel body 31 is fixed to the inner surface 40 on the left side of the refrigerator compartment 14 (see Figures 1 and 2). The panel body 31 protrudes inward (to the right in the left-right direction) from the inner surface 40. The panel body 31 includes an operation area 34 and a display area 35. The operation area 34 is disposed in front of the display area 35 (toward the pivot door 20). A plurality of operation buttons 32 are disposed in the operation area 34. The display area 35 is disposed behind the operation area 34 (toward the back of the refrigerator body 10). A plurality of indicator lamps 33 are disposed in the display area 35.

The operation button 32 is configured to be operable by the user. By operating the operation button 32, the user can, for example, set the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 14. In addition, by operating the operation button 32, the user can, for example, set the operation mode of the refrigerator 2. For example, ice-making operation, power-saving operation, etc. can be set.

The indicator lamp 33 is configured to be able to display the state of the refrigerator 2. For example, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 14 is set to a low temperature, a display indicating that the temperature is low is displayed on the indicator lamp 33. In this case, for example, the indicator lamp 33 lights up in green. Also, when ice-making operation is being performed in the refrigerator 2, a display indicating that ice-making operation is being performed is displayed on the indicator lamp 33. In this case, for example, the indicator lamp 33 lights up in blue.

(Configuration of the rotating door 20)
1, a pair of pivot doors 20 (left door 20a and right door 20b) are attached to be pivotable relative to the refrigerator body 10. The pair of pivot doors 20 (left door 20a and right door 20b) are pivoted to open and close the front opening 17 of the refrigerator compartment 14. The following description focuses on the left door 20a of the pair of pivot doors 20.

The left door 20a is attached to the left end of the refrigerator body 10. The left door 20a opens and closes the left part of the front opening 17 of the refrigerator chamber 14. A plurality of pockets 50 are fixed to the surface of the left door 20a on the refrigerator body 10 side (i.e., the inside). Each pocket 50 is provided so as to protrude toward the refrigerator body 10 side (the refrigerator chamber 14 side). When the left door 20a is closed, the plurality of pockets 50 are arranged in the refrigerator chamber 14. The plurality of pockets 50 are arranged in a vertical line. The refrigerator 2 of this embodiment has one bottom pocket 50a (an example of a container), one middle pocket 50b, and two upper pockets 50c. The bottom pocket 50a is the pocket 50 arranged at the bottom of the plurality of pockets 50. The middle pocket 50b is the pocket 50 arranged one step above the bottom pocket 50a. The two upper pockets 50c are pockets 50 located above the middle pocket 50b.

The bottommost pocket 50a is located at a height position lower than the operation panel 30. The bottommost pocket 50a is also located at a height position lower than the lowest shelf 15a in the refrigerator compartment 14. The middle pocket 50b is located at a height position higher than the operation panel 30 and the lowest shelf 15a. The operation panel 30 and the lowest shelf 15a are located at a height position between the bottommost pocket 50a and the middle pocket 50b. The following description focuses on the bottommost pocket 50a of the multiple pockets 50.

When the left door 20a is closed, the bottom pocket 50a is located in a position facing the chilled compartment 16 in the refrigerator compartment 14 in the front-to-rear direction. In addition, when the left door 20a is closed, the bottom pocket 50a is located in a position facing the label 45 attached to the inside surface 40 of the refrigerator compartment 14 in the left-to-right direction.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in the state where the door of the refrigerator in Figure 1 is closed. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Figure 4. In Figure 5, the inner surface 40 of the refrigerator body 10 to which the operation panel 30 is fixed is viewed from the front. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 5. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the lowest pocket 50a has a body-side storage section 51, a door-side storage section 52, and a wall section 53. The body-side storage section 51 is disposed closer to the refrigerator body 10 (i.e., on the inside) than the door-side storage section 52 when the left door 20a is closed. The door-side storage section 52 is disposed closer to the left door 20a than the body-side storage section 51 (on the front side when the left door 20a is closed). The body-side storage section 51 and the door-side storage section 52 open upward. The main body storage section 51 and the door storage section 52 can each store items to be refrigerated in the refrigerator compartment 14 (e.g., plastic bottles).

As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom surface 54 of the main body storage section 51 is inclined downward toward the back of the refrigerator main body 10. Therefore, items stored in the main body storage section 51 (e.g., plastic bottles) are inclined toward the back of the refrigerator main body 10. The bottom surface 55 of the door side storage section 52 extends horizontally and is not inclined. Items stored in the door side storage section 52 are not inclined.

As shown in FIG. 6, the main body storage section 51 has a first side surface 56 and a second side surface 57. When the left door 20a is closed, the first side surface 56 is disposed closer to the operation panel 30 (left side in the left-right direction) than the second side surface 57. When the left door 20a is closed, the second side surface 57 is disposed closer to the right door 20b (right side in the left-right direction) than the first side surface 56. When the left door 20a is closed, the first side surface 56 of the main body storage section 51 is inclined so as to move away from the operation panel 30 as it moves toward the back side of the refrigerator main body 10. The first side surface 56 and the second side surface 57 of the main body storage section 51 are inclined so as to move closer to each other as they move toward the back side of the refrigerator main body 10.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the wall 53 of the bottom pocket 50a is disposed between the main body storage section 51 and the door side storage section 52, and separates the main body storage section 51 from the door side storage section 52. The wall 53 extends in the left-right and up-down directions when the left door 20a is closed. When the left door 20a is closed, the wall 53 extends in a direction intersecting with the inner surface 40 of the refrigerator main body 10 to which the operation panel 30 is fixed. When the left door 20a is closed, the extension line 70 of the wall 53 passes through the multiple operation buttons 32 of the operation panel 30. As shown in Fig. 5, the multiple operation buttons 32 of the operation panel 30 are disposed in a position overlapping with the wall 53 of the bottom pocket 50a when the inner surface 40 of the refrigerator main body 10 to which the operation panel 30 is fixed is viewed from the front when the left door 20a is closed.

The refrigerator 2 of the embodiment has been described above. As is clear from the above description, the refrigerator 2 includes the bottom pocket 50a fixed to the surface of the left door 20a facing the refrigerator body 10, and the operation panel 30 fixed to the inner surface 40 of the refrigerator body 10 and equipped with an operation button 32 that can be operated by a user. The bottom pocket 50a includes a body-side storage section 51 located on the refrigerator body 10 side, a door-side storage section 52 located on the left door 20a side of the body-side storage section 51, and a wall section 53 that separates the body-side storage section 51 and the door-side storage section 52. The operation panel 30 is arranged in a position that overlaps with the wall section 53 of the bottom pocket 50a when the inner surface 40 of the refrigerator body 10 to which the operation panel 30 is fixed is viewed from the front when the left door 20a is closed.

With this configuration, the operation panel 30 is positioned so that it overlaps with the wall 53 of the bottom pocket 50a, which prevents the top of an object (e.g., a plastic bottle) stored in the main body storage section 51 (or the door side storage section 52) from overlapping with the operation panel 30. This prevents the operation button 32 of the operation panel 30 from being pressed by the top of an object (e.g., a plastic bottle) stored in the main body storage section 51 (or the door side storage section 52).

The main body storage section 51 has a bottom surface 54 that slopes downward toward the back of the refrigerator main body 10. With this configuration, an object (e.g., a plastic bottle) stored in the main body storage section 51 will tilt toward the back of the refrigerator main body 10. This makes it possible to prevent the operation button 32 from being pressed by the top of an object (e.g., a plastic bottle) stored in the main body storage section 51.

The main body storage section 51 has a first side surface 56 that is inclined so as to move away from the operation panel 30 toward the back side of the refrigerator main body 10. With this configuration, the object stored in the main body storage section 51 can be moved away from the operation panel 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operation button 32 from being pressed by the object stored in the main body storage section 51.

The operation panel 30 is equipped with indicator lamps 33 that can display the status of the refrigerator. The indicator lamps 33 of the operation panel 30 are located at a position deeper into the refrigerator body 10 than the operation buttons 32. In addition, when the left door 20a is closed and the inner surface 40 of the refrigerator body 10 to which the operation panel 30 is fixed is viewed from the front, the indicator lamps 33 are located deeper into the refrigerator body 10 than the wall 53 of the lowest pocket 50a.

The indicator lamp 33 of the operation panel 30 is not an operation button 32, so even if it is pressed, there is little problem. In the above configuration, the indicator lamp 33 of the operation panel 30 is positioned in a position where it is more likely to be pressed by an object (e.g., a plastic bottle) stored in the main body storage section 51 than the operation button 32. Therefore, even if the indicator lamp 33 is pressed by an object stored in the main body storage section 51, it is possible to prevent the operation button 32 from being pressed.

The operation panel 30 protrudes inward from the inner surface 40 of the refrigerator body 10 to which the operation panel 30 is fixed. If the operation panel 30 protrudes from the inner surface 40 of the refrigerator body 10, items stored in the bottom pocket 50a are more likely to hit the operation panel 30. For this reason, the above configuration is particularly effective.

Although one embodiment has been described above, the specific aspect is not limited to the above embodiment. In the following description, the same components as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

(Modification)
(1) In the above embodiment, the operation button 32 is disposed at a position overlapping the wall portion 53 of the bottom pocket 50a, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In a modified example, as shown in Fig. 7, the operation button 32 may be disposed at a position closer to the left door 20a (front side in the front-rear direction) than the wall portion 53 of the container when the left door 20a is closed and the inner surface 40 of the refrigerator body 10 to which the operation panel 30 is fixed is viewed from the front.

According to this configuration, when the left door 20a is closed, the main body side storage section 51 of the bottom pocket 50a is located at a position on the back side of the refrigerator main body 10 relative to the operation button 32. Since the main body side storage section 51 is located at a position farther away from the left door 20a than the door side storage section 52, when the left door 20a is rotated to close, the rotation radius of the main body side storage section 51 is larger than the rotation radius of the door side storage section 52. Therefore, an object (e.g., a plastic bottle) stored in the main body side storage section 51 is likely to tilt when the left door 20a is rotated to close. However, according to the above configuration, since the main body side storage section 51 of the bottom pocket 50a is located at a position on the back side of the refrigerator main body 10 relative to the operation button 32, even if an object (e.g., a plastic bottle) stored in the main body side storage section 51 tilts with the rotation of the left door 20a, it is possible to prevent the top of the object from pressing the operation button 32.

(2) In the above embodiment, the left door 20a of the pair of pivoting doors 20 is described as the focus, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The above technology can also be applied to the right door 20b of the pair of pivoting doors 20.

(3) In the above embodiment, the description focuses on the bottom pocket 50a of the multiple pockets 50, but is not limited to this configuration. The above technology can also be applied to other pockets 50. For example, if the operation panel 30 is located above the middle pocket 50b of the multiple pockets 50, the middle pocket 50b may have the same configuration as the bottom pocket 50a described above.

Although specific examples of the present invention have been described above in detail, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exert technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technology exemplified in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful.

2: refrigerator, 10: refrigerator body, 14: refrigerator compartment, 15: shelf, 16: chilled compartment, 17: front opening, 20: pivoting door, 20a: left door, 20b: right door, 30: operation panel, 31: panel body, 32: operation button, 33: indicator lamp, 34: operation area, 35: display area, 40: inner surface, 45: label, 50: pocket, 50a: bottom pocket, 51: main body storage section, 52: door storage section, 53: wall, 56: first side, 57: second side, 70: extension line

Claims (6)

The refrigerator body,
A door provided at a front opening of the refrigerator body;
A storage section provided on the door side of the refrigerator body and capable of storing items therein;
An operation unit is provided on an inner surface of the refrigerator body extending from the front opening to the rear side and is operated from the outside,
The storage section has a partition section that separates the storage section into the refrigerator main body side and the door side, and by being partitioned by the partition section, the storage section has a main body side storage section located on the refrigerator main body side and a door side storage section located on the door side,
The operation unit is disposed at a position overlapping with an upward extension line of the partition unit when viewed from the front of the inner surface in a state where the door is closed,
The door side end of the bottom surface of the main body side storage section is located at a higher position than the back side end of the bottom surface of the door side storage section of the refrigerator main body,
The bottom surface of the main body side storage section is inclined downward toward the back side of the refrigerator main body and is inclined more than the bottom surface of the door side storage section,
The operation unit includes an operation button,
The operation button is provided at a height position where it will come into contact with an item stored in the storage section if it falls over when the door is closed, and is positioned so as to overlap with an upward extension of the partition section when viewed from the front of the inner surface when the door is closed. The refrigerator body,
A door provided at a front opening of the refrigerator body;
A storage section provided on the door side of the refrigerator body and capable of storing items therein;
An operation unit is provided on an inner surface of the refrigerator body extending from the front opening to the rear side and is operated from the outside,
The storage section has a partition section that separates the storage section into the refrigerator main body side and the door side, and by being partitioned by the partition section, the storage section has a main body side storage section located on the refrigerator main body side and a door side storage section located on the door side,
The operation unit is disposed at a position overlapping with an upward extension line of the partition unit when viewed from the front of the inner surface in a state where the door is closed,
The door side end of the bottom surface of the main body side storage section is located at a higher position than the back side end of the bottom surface of the door side storage section of the refrigerator main body,
The bottom surface of the main body side storage section is inclined downward toward the back side of the refrigerator main body and is inclined more than the bottom surface of the door side storage section,
The operation unit includes an operation button,
The operation button is provided at a height position where it will come into contact with an item stored in the storage section if it falls over when the door is closed, and is located at a position closer to the door than an upward extension of the partition section when viewed from the front of the inner surface when the door is closed. The operation unit includes a display unit capable of displaying a state of the refrigerator,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display unit of the operation unit is positioned at a position further back in the refrigerator body than the operation button, and is positioned at a position further back in the refrigerator body than an upward extension of the partition unit when viewed from the front of the inner surface when the door is closed. The refrigerator body,
A door provided at a front opening of the refrigerator body;
A storage section provided on the door side of the refrigerator body and capable of storing items therein;
An operation unit is provided on an inner surface of the refrigerator body extending from the front opening to the rear side and is operated from the outside,
The storage section has a partition section that separates the storage section into the refrigerator main body side and the door side, and by being partitioned by the partition section, the storage section has a main body side storage section located on the refrigerator main body side and a door side storage section located on the door side,
The operation unit is disposed at a position overlapping with an upward extension line of the partition unit when viewed from the front of the inner surface in a state where the door is closed,
The door side end of the bottom surface of the main body side storage section is located at a higher position than the back side end of the bottom surface of the door side storage section of the refrigerator main body,
The bottom surface of the main body side storage section is inclined downward toward the back side of the refrigerator main body and is inclined more than the bottom surface of the door side storage section,
The operation unit includes a plurality of operation buttons arranged in a vertical direction of the refrigerator body, and a plurality of display units arranged in a vertical direction of the refrigerator body and capable of displaying a state of the refrigerator,
the operation buttons and the display units of the operation unit are provided at height positions where they will come into contact with an object accommodated in the accommodation unit if the object falls over when the door is closed,
The multiple display units of the operation unit are arranged at a position further back in the refrigerator body than the multiple operation buttons, and are arranged at a position further back in the refrigerator body than an upward extension of the partition unit when viewed from the front of the inner surface when the door is closed. The door includes a left door provided on the left side in the left-right direction of the refrigerator body and a right door provided on the right side in the left-right direction,
The left door and the right door have different widths in the left-right direction,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operating unit is provided on the inner surface of the refrigerator body on a side where one of the left door and the right door having a smaller width in the left-right direction is provided. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the operation unit protrudes inward from the inner surface of the refrigerator body on which the operation unit is provided.

Images